Red Sox Weekly Recap: Gonzalez does the right thing and Wild Bard to AAA

May 28th – June 3rd

Opening the week with a 4 game set against the Detroit Tigers, the Boston Red Sox were looking to get back to winning ways after a deflating 9th inning loss against Tampa Bay to end the previous week.

Felix Doubront took on Doug Fister in Monday’s memorial day matchup and threw 6 innings of 2 run ball on his way to his 5th victory of the season. A missed strike out in the 2nd inning resulted in the Sox scoring 3 runs and gaining a lead they wouldn’t lose. In the top of the 6th the Sox did lose Dustin Pedroia with a ‘jammed’ thumb. The injury kept Pedroia out for the rest of the week (but he seems set to return in tonight’s game).

Tuesday the 29th of May, the day the Red Sox finally climbed over .500 for the first time in 2012. While everyone expected the Sox to eventually get there few expected it to be on a night where Daniel Bard was facing Detroit ace Justin Verlander. Verlander was far from his best, giving up 6 runs on 10 hits in his 6 innings. Daniel Nava laced a 3 run double in the 4th inning to open up the game in Boston’s favour.

Playing Adrian Gonzalez in right has some downside, his defence is moderate and as a result Bobby V has to think about pulling someone for a defensive replacement. According to Valentine there was discussion of removing Adrian in the sixth inning of Wednesday’s game. Fortunately Valentine opted to keep Adrian in the game on this occasion and he was rewarded when he hit a 2 out RBI double to break a 4-4 tie. Gonzalez was later lifted in the 8th with the Sox leading 6-4, which would be the final result.

Jim Corsi, former Red Sox pitcher, was in Autograph Alley in Yawkey Way before the game but his presence couldn’t help the Sox to a sweep of the Tigers as Josh Beckett faltered for the first time in 4 starts. Despite a home run weather rating of 7/10, Daniel Nava’s deep fly-ball with 2 runners on in the 7th died before the fence and allowed Quintin Berry to make the catch. That hit could have tied the game but the out allowed Detroit to stay in front and take the win.

In the first of three game against the Blue Jays, Clay Buchholz pitched liked it was 2010 again allowing only 2 runs in 8 innings. Daniel Nava, Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz stayed hot, all having a multi hit game and Papi also hit his 13th home run in this winning effort..

The Red Sox won the second game of the series behind Felix Doubront who improved to 6-2 on the season. Nick Punto paved the way for a potential appearance in the Home Run Derby with home run into the second deck in the top of the 9th.

In the final game in the series Daniel Bard imploded, walking 6, hitting 2 batters and giving up 5 earned runs in just 1 ⅔ innings. It is being reported today that Bard has been demoted to Triple A to work things out. Kevin Youkilis received questionable retribution for the two unintentionally hit batters, with Toronto starter Drew Hutchison drilling him in the shoulder drawing an angry response from Youk but the benches didn’t clear.

The Red Sox go into this week at 28-26 and will face AL East rivals Baltimore and the impressive Washington Nationals in two 3 game series.